Animal Expert David Mizejewski: Paca & Russian Wild Boar

Andy dubs the paca the "Bambi rat" and Conan freaks out around a giant scary hog.

TranscriptCONAN: What's so special about this snake?
DAVID MIZEJEWSKI: It's called an African egg-eating snake.
Check out those eggs.
CONAN: Oh, these.
DAVID MIZEJEWSKI: The tiny head on this animal.
It can open its mouth so wide it can swallow eggs that size.
This does not have teeth because eggs don't run away.
CONAN: Look, it's thinking about it.
It's thinking about it.
It's read the studies on cholesterol.
It's not true.
It's like you have beetles?
DAVID MIZEJEWSKI: They open their mouth.
Their jaws are hinged.
CONAN: We have a picture, I believe.
Can you put up that picture?
It's opening its mouth that wide.
DAVID MIZEJEWSKI: And they swallow the egg whole and then they have vet bra inside that have points on them and they jab into the shell and suck out the contents and then they basically throw up.
CONAN: They throw up that?
DAVID MIZEJEWSKI: Yeah.
CONAN: And they suck the egg out of the shell?
DAVID MIZEJEWSKI: They don't want to digest the shell.
CONAN: Right, you don't want to go to a restaurant with this snake.
A disgusting process of opening its face, extracting the nutrients and them vomiting up.
Let's move on.
I'm sorry I have to rush you tonight to get to all of our animals.
Oh, my lord.
DAVID MIZEJEWSKI: This one is super cool as well.
You're going to feed him.
This guy is called a paca.
It's a rodent.
ANDY: That's a Bambi rat.
CONAN: Andy calls it the Bambi rat.
Hi, Bambi rat.
DAVID MIZEJEWSKI: There's a little food in the bowl there.
CONAN: Strange.
So this is a giant rat, right?
Be honest.
DAVID MIZEJEWSKI: It looks more like a Guinea pig.
CONAN: You called the monkey an owl.
DAVID MIZEJEWSKI: It was an owl monkey so you can forgive me for that.
They live in the forest.
They have incredibly slick fur.
CONAN: What disease will this give me?
DAVID MIZEJEWSKI: No diseases.
People think all rodents are nasty city rats.
CONAN: Look at that head.
DAVID MIZEJEWSKI: These unique rodent species from all over the world.
You never would think this animal is a rodent, right?
CONAN: Rodents get a bad rap.
DAVID MIZEJEWSKI: Exactly.
And look at its fur.
It helps provide camouflage in the jungle.
CONAN: You always say these animals are endangered, we mustn't hunt them, and then you always spend a lot of time saying look at that fur.
Wouldn't you like that on a hat?
Wouldn't that look good on your crops?
DAVID MIZEJEWSKI: It always looks better on the animal that it was born on.
CONAN: We have time for one more.
DAVID MIZEJEWSKI: All of these animals are pretty small so I had to bring one big animal.
CONAN: Whoa!
DAVID MIZEJEWSKI: This is a Russian boar.
CONAN: They'll tear people apart.
DAVID MIZEJEWSKI: This animal can be very dangerous.
Go ahead and open your hand up.
CONAN: No.
You just said this could be very dangerous and then you handed me a bunch of cookies for the animal.
DAVID MIZEJEWSKI: Open your hand and he'll come and get it.
CONAN: He left behind stuff.
DAVID MIZEJEWSKI: You're going to have to wash your hands.
CONAN: Look at that animal.
What an incredible -- I just fed you, I'm your friend.
DAVID MIZEJEWSKI: Keep feeding him and he'll remain your friend.
CONAN: Whoa, OK, that kind of hurts.
DAVID MIZEJEWSKI: There you go.
CONAN: I don't want any more part of that.
He took some fingers the last time.
Will he tear me apart with those --
DAVID MIZEJEWSKI: He may very well.
Let's turn him around and get his attention this way.
CONAN: Eat this one.
DAVID MIZEJEWSKI: This is how smart they are.
Did you see?
We got him to sit.
Pigs are as intelligent as dogs.
Unfortunately these guys are native to Europe and they've been introduced here and they're going a lot of ecological damage.
So the message, don't release animals where they don't belong and everything will be good.
CONAN: Right, but look at that fur.